Stone disease

Kidneys filter waste and fluid from the blood to make urine. Stones are formed when crystal-forming substances such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid are more than the fluid in the urine. These clumps of waste stick together in concentrated urine and form stones. When these stones pass through the urinary tract, they cause pain but don’t usually cause permanent damage. Kidney stones can affect any part of the urinary tract from the kidneys to the bladder.

Small kidney stones will move easily through the urinary tract and will not have any symptoms. But larger kidney stones may have symptoms such as:

Pain and burning sensation while urinating, blood in urine, severe pain in the side and back below the ribs or lower abdomen, nausea and vomiting, Color change of urine, foul smell urine, frequent urge to urinate, fever, and chills may come if an infection develops.

Men get kidney stones more often than women. Possible causes may be due to drinking less water, obesity, following a high protein diet, sodium, and sugar, if you have undergone any intestinal surgery, infections, and family history, if you have polycystic kidney disease or cystic kidney disease, or medications.

There are four types of kidney stones: Calcium stones, uric acid stones, struvite stones, cystine stones.

Digestive diseases and surgery, Urinary tract infections, Anatomical abnormalities, Obstruction of the kidney or ureter, Horseshoe kidney, Ureterocele, Ureteral stricture, vesicoureteral reflux, Medullary sponge kidney, etc.

Blood test, Urine test, Imaging tests- CT scan and ultrasound, Analysis of passed stones.

Small stones don't require invasive treatment. It can be passed by drinking water, pain relievers, and medical therapy.

For large stones that are unable to pass through may cause bleeding, kidney damage, or an infection. It requires treatments and procedures such as -

• Using sound waves to break up the stones (ESWL- extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy)
• Surgery to remove very large stones in the kidney, a procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
• Using a scope,
• Parathyroid gland surgery.

These are caused when minerals build up in the bladder and form stones. It is common in men above the age of 50. This is mainly caused when the bladder is not emptied when using the toilet, often due to an underlying medical condition such as neurogenic bladder, prostate enlargement, medical devices, bladder inflammation, kidney stones, bladder diverticula, cystocele.

These are caused when minerals build up in the bladder and form stones. It is common in men above the age of 50. This is mainly caused when the bladder is not emptied when using the toilet, often due to an underlying medical condition such as neurogenic bladder, prostate enlargement, medical devices, bladder inflammation, kidney stones, bladder diverticula, cystocele.

Bladder stones are more common in elderly people. Its risk factors include Paralysis, Bladder outlet obstruction, Bladder augmentation surgery.

Physical exam, urinalysis, Spiral computerized tomography (CT) scan, Ultrasound, X-ray, Intravenous pyelogram

Treatment for larger stones - breaking up bladder stones, surgical removal

These are the stones that are stuck in one or both ureters. It can cause severe pain. Most of the stones are calcium-based.

Stones that block the ureter or any of the kidney's drainage tubes may cause symptoms such as severe intermittent pain in the upper flank that can radiate to the lower abdomen, nausea, and vomiting.

Ureteral stones are diagnosed by physical examination, urine test, blood test, imaging test, and CT scan.

Larger stones are treated by Shock wave lithotripsy, Ureteroscopy, Percutaneous nephrolithotomy.